henry jamesradio
DESCRIPTION
A presentation given at the International Henry James Seminar at Baskent University, Ankara, Turkey, looking at the conventions that shaped American radio drama of the 1940s, with particular reference to Henry James.TRANSCRIPT
Henry James on Old-Time American Radio
Laurence RawBaşkent University, Ankara,
Turkey
The Turn of the Screw, FavoriteStory, ABC, 17 Sep. 1949
Portrait of a Lady 2 Oct. 1949
Daisy Miller 17 Jan. 1951
NBC University Theaterof the Air
Radio Drama Soundscapes
Actors’ distance from microphoneMusic as a dramatic participant
Colman close to microphone -reassuring Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet–pastiche theme music
Henry James’ eerie tale of the Governess
Radio Drama Anthology Formats
Musical Links Between Scenes from a Live Radio Orchestra
Traded on Colman’s Screen Personality as a Romantic
Hero and Matinée Idol
Douglas is played by Colman, setting the romantic tone of the program
Augmented by dramatic music …
And a happy ending … (not in the James story)
Reassurance
NBC University Theater of the Air
V
Education Entertainment
900 pages of The Portrait of the Lady
58 minute slot
A young woman entrapped in a marriage from which she cannot escape
With Musical Interludes
and a scholarly filling
Written, rehearsed, broadcast in 5 DAYS (1951) 22 minutes long
… a familiar tale of unrequited love …
and death …
Some Thoughts On Radio