Old Radio Times the Official Publication of the Old-Time Radio Researchers
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The Old Radio Times The Official Publication of the Old-Time Radio Researchers December 2008 www.otrr.org Over 2,100 subscribers! Number 37 Radio Career of The Radio Career of Rod -- offering us a brief glimpse of the drama Rod Serling 1 that came from a future Emmy-Award Sweet Dreams 14 Serling winning playwright. Scripts were donated First 3D Movie 17 Martin Grams, Jr. among other personal items such as letters and contracts to a variety of Backstage Visit depositories across the country. The Pt. 2 18 Literally, there were thousands of radio programs broadcast throughout the WMCA archive in New York, UCLA in Los Flash Gordon 26 Angeles and the Wisconsin Historical twenties to the fifties that have never been Escape 27 documented in reference guides. Archives. It is from these collections and Book Review 28 Hundreds of radio stations across the the author’s personal items purchased off country featured regional programming eBay over the past decade that form the Police majority of the information contained Headquarters 29 that rarely expanded beyond state lines, and faded from memory as fast as they herein. History of WMAQ came. While some programs like The Pt. 1 30 Whistler started out as a West Coast Dr. Christian Meets Rod Serling You Can’t Do program before making the switch to a While many maintain that The Twilight Business with coast-to-coast basis, others such as Zone influenced a great number of Hitler 32 Primer for Parents and Psychologically authors, television producers, scriptwriters Book Review 33 and fans in general, the television Speaking never went beyond the local Bing – The Final region the program originated from. program was influenced by the standards Radio Years 34 WENR in Chicago had Jim and Marion of the broadcast networks. Rod Serling Wistful Vistas 35 Jordan for The Farmer Rusk Hour and worked first in radio and then moved on to Wyllis Cooper for Lights Out! WMCA in television in Cincinnati (teaching himself, Acquisitions and through actual writing, whatever he Upgrades 41 New York had John J. Anthony and The Goodwill Hour . And WLW in Ohio had learned of playwriting). Wanting to make a Rod Serling. profession of writing, he was at the radio’s This article will center on Rod Serling’s speaker, often favoring good dramas and radio career and the many obscure programs of serious horror and science programs he created and scripted for the fiction. Shows such as Suspense and The medium. His switch to television and more Mysterious Traveler may well have been importantly, how radio was a major influences for the types of stories of which influence on the cult television series, The he grew fond. One of Serling’s earliest Twilight Zone , will be emphasized. Like jobs was as an unsalaried volunteer writer much of American history, little has been and actor with WNYC, a New York City done to preserve our heritage. As a result, radio station. Later he worked for stations in Marion and Springfield, Ohio, as well as dates in general (1952 rather than Nov. 21, 1952) are listed because the specifics his native Binghamton, N.Y., and remain elusive. Serling saved much of his Cincinnati. radio work in the form of scripts but to “In 1946, I started writing for radio at a date, only one recording is known to exist New York City station and thereafter did The Old Radio Times * December 2008 * Number 37 1 radio writing at other small stations,” he recalled. “It like jalopy named Betsy fell in love with a black was experience, but incidental experience. I learned Packard owned by a woman chief of police. Only ‘time,’ writing for a medium that is measured in when murder was the theme of a script did listeners seconds. Radio and its offspring, television, are complain; they liked the show when it was mellow. unique in the stringency of the time factor. Radio and The 1947 prize play concerned Dr. Christian’s effort TV stations gave me a look-see at the factory that to convince an unborn child that Earth was not so would produce my product. I got to understand the bad after all. basic workings of cameras, lights and microphones. I At Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, Rod got a sense of the space that could be utilized and Serling majored in language and literature and the number of people who might be accommodated began writing scripts for radio. He became manager in that space. This was all to the good.” of the Antioch Broadcasting System’s radio The radio programs Serling wrote for, however, workshop where he wrote, directed and acted in were not broadcast nationally on a coast-to-coast weekly full-scale radio productions broadcast over hookup. They were not sponsored. In fact, almost all WJEM, Springfield. With confidence on his shoulder, of them were sustained, that is, the production costs during the 1948-49 school year, the entire output of were borne by the network rather than a sponsor. the workshop was written by Serling. With the Cheap to produce, these programs required no exception of one adaptation, all of the radio scripts major film stars to pay, and there was no shortage of were entirely original. Later he would look back and radio actors willing to work for union scale. For him, call this work some “pretty bad stuff.” this was experience needed for a writer with no For the broadcast of May 18, 1949, the eighth credits to his name, to get his foot in the door for annual scriptwriting contest of Dr. Christian ended programs that paid much more – courtesy of well- with a special broadcast revealing the year’s heeled sponsors willing to pick up the tab. winners. Among the guests on that particular The Chesebrough Manufacturing Company, for program was Rod Serling, who at the time was example, sponsored a long-running radio program attending Antioch College. The producers of the titled Dr. Christian . The program featured top-quality radio show even paid him $76.56 to reimburse his dramas of a country doctor who applied the Golden expenses in getting to CBS in New York City to Rule approach to life when facing obstacles that appear on the Dr. Christian program. His required his inner strength for support. In the submission, titled “To Live a Dream,” had won beginning, the Dr. Christian radio program came approval of the judges and been accepted by from various scriptwriters, among them Ruth Adams producer Dorothy McCann. Serling’s script helped Knight. In 1942, the producers tried a new approach: him place in the radio contest that netted him a $500 a contest in which listeners could submit scripts and award. be eligible for large cash prizes. This may have been Serling brought along his wife, Carol, to attend the most significant factor in the program’s long 17- the radio broadcast. Among the cast on stage were year history. Suddenly, everyone in the country was star Jean Hersholt, Helen Claire as nurse Judy Price, a scriptwriter. Weekly awards ranged from $150 to and prizewinners Russell F. Johnson, Maree Dow $500, good money in 1942, and the grand prize won Gagne, Mrs. Aida Cromwell, Miss Terry McCoog, the author $2,000. It soon became The Vaseline Earl Hamner, Jr. and Mrs. Halle Truitt Yenni. The Program , “the only show in radio where the audience program, still sponsored by Chesebrough, was the writes the script.” 546th broadcast of the series. Russell F. Johnson of Newsweek reported that 7,697 scripts were Thomaston, Connecticut won the $2,000 first prize received in 1947; sometimes that number went as for his script titled, “Stolen Glory.” Mrs. Lillian Kerr of high as 10,000. Many were called, however, but few Tillamook, Oregon, won $500 for her script titled, were chosen. The scripts that made it to the air “Angel with a Black Eye.” Earl Hamner, Jr. of continued the appeal of traditional values, showing Cincinnati, Ohio (the same Hamner who would later Dr. Christian as the symbol of good will, as a write scripts for The Twilight Zone ), won $500 for his philanthropist and an unabashed Cupid. The subject script titled “All Things Come Home.” This was not matter would include anything – even fantasy. One Hamner’s first time winning the contest. He had been show was about a mermaid; on another, a human- on the show previous for his award-winning scripts, The Old Radio Times * December 2008 * Number 37 2 “Now That Spring is There” and “Who Would Not HERSHOLT: Oh . another married man! Sing for David?” One by one, the prizewinners were announced SERLING: How did Russell Johnson say it? Yes, sir! and interviewed on stage. Biographical background, HERSHOLT: And is your wife sitting out front, too? professional endeavors and their writing ambitions were discussed. Halfway through the broadcast, Rod SERLING: Yes, sir . right there. Serling came to the microphone. HERSHOLT: Well, let’s have her stand up and take a HERSHOLT: Hello, Rod . and congratulations. I bow, too . Mrs. Rod Serling . read your winning script, “To Live a Dream,” and I thought it was a fine job of writing. (Applause) SERLING: Thank you, Mr. Hersholt. You’ve no idea HERSHOLT: Well, well, you ex-G.I.s certainly how thrilled I am to know that you and the judges specialize in beautiful brides. And now, back to that selected my script as one of the winners. ambition of yours. SERLING: Well, we want to live in a large house, in HERSHOLT: Now tell us a little about yourself, Rod.