Guide to the Screen Guild Players Recordings Collection, 1942-1948
Project archivist: Caitlin Hunter;
machine-readable finding aid created by David Seubert
Department of Special Collections
Davidson Library
University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106
Phone: (805) 893-3062
Fax: (805) 893-5749
Email: special@library.ucsb.edu
URL: http://www.library.ucsb.edu/speccoll/speccoll.html
© 1999
The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Guide to the Screen Guild Players Recordings Collection, 1942-1948
Collection number: PA Mss 28
Department of Special Collections
Davidson Library
University of California, Santa Barbara
Contact Information:
- Department of Special Collections
- Davidson Library
- University of California, Santa Barbara
- Santa Barbara, CA 93106
- Phone: (805) 893-3062
- Fax: (805) 893-5749
- Email: special@library.ucsb.edu
- URL: http://www.library.ucsb.edu/speccoll/speccoll.html
- Project Archivist:
- Caitlin Hunter
- Date Completed:
- September 28, 1999
- Encoded by:
- David Seubert
© 1999 The Regents of the University of California. All rights reserved.
Descriptive Summary
Title: Screen Guild Players Recordings Collection,
Date (inclusive): 1942-1948
Collection number: PA Mss 28
Creator: Motion Picture Relief Fund
Extent: 97 disc recordings
Repository:
University of California, Santa Barbara. Library. Dept. of Special Collections
Shelf location: For current information on the location of these
materials, please consult the library's online catalog.
Abstract: Recordings of Screen Guild Players radio programs used as a fundraising effort for the Motion Picture Relief Fund, sponsored
by the Lady Esther Corporation and Camel Cigarettes. The collection contains recordings of 33 shows originally aired between
1940 and 1948; directed by William Lawrence and written/adapted primarily by William Hampton and Harry Kronman. Performers
included Nelson Eddy, Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Agnes Moorehead, Bing Crosby, Johnny Mercer, Eddie Cantor, Dinah Shore, Gary
Cooper, Frank Sinatra, Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck, Jimmy Durante, Ethel and Lionel Barrymore and Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
Language:
English.
Administrative Information
Provenance
Unknown
Restrictions
None.
Publication Rights
Copyright has not been assigned to the Department of Special Collections, UCSB. All requests for permission to publish or
quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given
on behalf of the Department of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply
permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Screen Guild Players Recordings, PA Mss 28, Department of Special Collections, University Libraries,
University of California, Santa Barbara.
Biography
The Screen Guild Players radio program originated as a manner in which to raise money for the Motion Picture Relief Fund.
The Motion Picture Relief Fund was created on December 24, 1924 in response to increasing financial need in the Hollywood
community. While there had been an earlier attempt to provide relief in the form of the Motion Picture War Service Association
(created to help the families of those in the motion picture industry who had either enlisted or been drafted), it disbanded
at the end of World War I. However, in many cases the need for financial assistance remained. And, with the onset of the Depression,
many other individuals found themselves in financial straits. The Motion Picture Relief Fund was created to deal with these
issues. Unfortunately, from 1924 to 1938, the fund's expenditures consistently exceeded its income. As a result, the fund
was reorganized
During the first year of the newly organized fund, Jules Stein, founder of the Music Corporation of America, presented both
the new president of the Motion Picture Relief Fund and the president of the Screen Actor's Guild with an idea to raise money.
He proposed that a radio program be presented by the motion picture industry with proceeds contributed to the fund. Under
this proposal, actors and directors would donate their time, and writers and producers would allow the use of their material.
A special contract would be arranged so that the sponsor would pay the Motion Picture Relief Fund a predetermined weekly fee.
After legal issues were resolved, the Columbia Broadcasting System presented the first network radio broadcast of the Screen
Guild Show on Sunday, January 8, 1939, at 4:30 Pacific Time. At first, the program was formatted to meet the talents of the
performers appearing in each particular show. This provided a large variety of program styles, including revues, musicals,
and dramatizations. As time went on, it became obvious that actors were more willing to volunteer their services if they were
already familiar with the part. As a result, the number of cinema adaptations presented in the show began to increase. The
title of the show was changed to the Screen Guild Theatre, reflecting the increased use of dramatizations.
Gulf Oil Corporation sponsored the initial three years of the program. However, due to the uncertainty of the oil market with
the onset of World War II, Gulf Oil chose not to continue. The Lady Esther Corporation took over and changed the name of the
program to the Screen Guild Players, and during its sponsorship, the program consistently ranked in the top ten of the most
popular radio shows. Unfortunately, there was a depression in the cosmetic industry in 1947, which caused Lady Esther to discontinue
sponsorship. Camel Cigarettes, on a three-year contract, then purchased the show, but due to a time change, ratings began
to fall. The show moved to various broadcasting networks before it was repurchased by the Columbia Broadcasting System in
1950. By this time, many of the usual radio sponsors were moving to the new medium of television, and ratings of the Screen
Guild Players continued to fall. The final production of the show occurred on June 30, 1952.
In the thirteen years that the radio program ran, it earned $5,235,607 for the Motion Picture Relief Fund. A large portion
of this amount went into the building of the Country Home, a retirement home for people from the Hollywood community, located
in Woodland Hills.
Scope and Content
Recordings of 33 Screen Guild Players radio programs which aired between 1940 and 1948 and were used as a fundraising effort
for the Motion Picture Relief Fund.
The collection contains a total of 33 shows. One show from the 1940 season, six shows are from the 1942-43 season (sponsored
by the Lady Esther Corporation) directed by William Lawrence and written primarily by William Hampton. 22 shows from the 1943-47
seasons (sponsored by the Lady Esther Corporation) directed by William Lawrence and written primarily by Harry Kronman. Three
shows are from the the 1947-48 season and one show is from the 1948-49 season both directed by William Lawrence and written
primarily by Harry Kronman and sponsored by Camel Cigarettes. Performers included Nelson Eddy, Judy Garland, Gene Kelly, Agnes
Moorehead, Bing Crosby, Johnny Mercer, Eddie Cantor, Dinah Shore, Gary Cooper, Frank Sinatra, Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck,
Jimmy Durante, Ethel and Lionel Barrymore, and Douglas Fairbanks Jr.
1939-1940 Broadcasting Season
Additional Note
- Sponsor
- Gulf Oil Corp.
- Produced by
- Young & Rubicam
- Host-Announcer
- Roger Pryor
- Orchestra
- Oscar Bradley
A5272-74/D12
January 28, 1940
Private Worlds (Cast: Charles Boyer, Claudette Colbert, Isabel Jewell)
1942-1943 Broadcasting Season
Additional Note
- Sponsor
- Lady Esther Corporation
- Sponsor representative
- Pedlar and Ryan Advertising Agency
- Network
- Columbia Broadcasting System
- Broadcast time
- Monday, 7 p.m.. Pacific Time
- Producer-Director
- William [Bill] Lawrence
- Writer-Adapter
- William [Bill] Hampton- unless otherwise indicated
- Host-Announcer
- Truman Bradley
- Orchestra
- Wilbur Hatch
A2314-15/D12
December 21, 1942
Juggler of our lady (Writer-Adapter, John Nesbitt; Cast: Nelson Eddy, Ronald Colman)
A2316-18/D12
March 22, 1943
For me and my gal (Cinema release: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Cast: Judy Garland, Dick Powell, Gene Kelly)
A2319-21/D12
May 31, 1943
Rebecca (Cinema release, David O. Selznick; Writer-Adapter, Harry Kronman; Cast: Joan Fontaine, Brian Aherne, Agnes Moorehead)
A2322-24/D12
September 13, 1943
Birth of the Blues (Cinema release, Paramount; Cast: Bing Crosby, Ginny Simms, Johnny Mercer)
A2325-27/D12
September 27, 1943
Thank your lucky stars (Cinema release, Warner Brothers; Writer-Adapter, Harry Kronman; Cast: Eddie Cantor, Dinah Shore, Dennis Morgan)
A2328-30/D12
October 11, 1943
Love affair (Cinema release, RKO; Writer-Adapter, Harry Kronman; Cast: Virginia Bruce, Herbert Marshall, Luis Alberni)
1943-1947 Broadcasting Seasons
Additional Note
- Sponsor
- Lady Esther Corporation
- Sponsor representative
- Biow Advertising Agency
- Network
- Columbia Broadcasting System
- Broadcast time
- Monday, 7 p.m.. Pacific Time
- Producer-Director
- William [Bill] Lawrence
- Writer-Adapter
- Harry Kronman- unless otherwise indicated
- Host-Announcer
- Truman Bradley
- Orchestra
- Wilbur Hatch
A2331-33/D12
March 6, 1944
The gay divorcee (Cinema release, RKO; Cast: Frank Sinatra, Gloria de Haven, Edward Everett Horton, Spring Byington)
A2334-36/D12
April 3, 1944
Hello, Frisco, hello (Cinema release, 20th Century Fox; Cast: Ginny Slims, Jack Okie, Dick Powell)
A2337-39/D12
April 10, 1944
Farewell to arms (Cinema release, Paramount; Cast: Gary Cooper, Joan Fontaine, Pedro de Cordoba)
A2340-42/D12
April 24, 1944
Snow White and the 7 dwarfs (Cinema release, Walt Disney; Cast: Edgar Bergen, Billy Gilbert, Jane Powell)
A2343-45/D12
September 4, 1944
Too many husbands (Cinema release, Columbia; Writer- Adapter, Frank Galen; Cast: Frank Sinatra, Bill Goodwin, Donna Reed)
A2346-48/D12
October 30, 1944
Anna Karenina (Cinema release, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; Cast: Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck)
A2349-51/D12
December 25, 1944
Pinocchio (Cinema release, Walt Disney; Writers-Adapters, Harry Kronman, Jess Oppenheimer, Devrey Freeman; Cast: Fanny Brice, Hanley
Stafford)
A2352-54/D12
January 8, 1945
Going my way (Cinema release, Paramount; Cast: Bing Crosby, Barry Fitzgerald, George Murphy)
A2355-57/D12
February 5, 1945
Joan of Ozark (Cinema release, Republic; Cast: Joe E. Brown, Judy Canova)
A2358-59/D12
February 12, 1945
Belle of the Yukon (Cinema release, International Pictures; Cast: Randolph Scott, Bob Burns, Dinah Shore, Gail Patrick)
A2360-62/D12
May 21, 1945
The desert song (Cinema release, Universal; Cast: Dennis Morgan, Francia White, Bruce Cabot)
A2363-65/D12
June 25, 1945
New wine (Cinema release, United Artists; Cast: Ilona Massey, Paul Henreid)
A2366-68/D12
March 11, 1946
Irish eyes are smiling (Cinema release, 20th Century Fox; Cast: June Haver, Dick Haymes)
A2369-71/D12
March 25, 1946
Sweethearts (Cinema release, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; Cast: Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy)
A2372-74/D12
June 10, 1946
House of 92nd Street (Cinema release, 20th Century Fox; Cast: Lloyd Nolan, William Lundigan)
A2375-77/D12
July 29, 1946
Naughty Marietta (Cinema release, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; Cast: Irene Manning, Allan Jones)
A2378-80/D12
August 26, 1946
Bells of St. Mary's (Cinema release, Rainbow Productions, Cast: Bing Crosby, Ingrid Bergman, Joan Carroll)
A2381-83/D12
October 7, 1946
The old lady shows her medals (Cinema release, Paramount; Cast: Ethel Barrymore, Lionel Barrymore, Douglas Fairbanks Jr.)
A2384-86/D12
December 23, 1946
Snow White (Cinema release, Walt Disney; Cast: Edgar Bergen, Mary Jane Smith, Charles Kemper)
A2387-89/D12
January 6, 1947
The yearling (Cinema release, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; Cast: Gregory Peck, Jane Wyman, Claude Jarman Jr.)
A2390-92/D12
May 12, 1947
Brief encounter (Cinema release, Universal-International; Cast: Herbert Marshall, Lilli Parker)
A2393-95/D12
June 23, 1947
Rose Marie (Cinema release, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer; Cast: Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy)
1947-1948 Broadcasting Season
Additional Note
- Sponsor
- Camel Cigarettes (R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company)
- Sponsor representative
- William Esty Advertising Agency
- Network
- Columbia Broadcasting System
- Broadcast time
- Monday, 7:30 p.m., Pacific Time
- Producer-Director
- William [Bill] Lawrence
- Writer-Adapter
- Harry Kronman- unless otherwise indicated
- Host-Announcer
- Michael Roy
- Orchestra
- Wilbur Hatch
A2396-98/D12
May 24, 1948
Casbah (Cinema release, Universal-International; Cast: Yvonne de Carlo, Tony Martin, Marta Toren, Peter Lorre)
A2399-A2401/D12
June 7, 1948
Snow White and the seven drawfs (Cinema release, Walt Disney; Cast: Margaret O'Brien, Jimmy Durante, Mary Jane Smith)
A2402-04/D12
June 28, 1948
Up in Central Park (Cinema release, Universal-International; Cast: Deanna Durbin, Dick Haymes, Charles Irwin)
1948-1949 Broadcasting Season
Additional Note
- Sponsor
- Camel Cigarettes (R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company)
- Sponsor representative
- William Esty Advertising Agency
- Network
- National Broadcasting Company
- Broadcast time
- Thursday, 7 p.m., Pacific Time
- Producer-Director
- William [Billi] Lawrence
- Writer-Adapter
- Harry Kronman- unless otherwise indicated
- Host-Announcer
- Vern Smith
- Orchestra
- National Broadcasting Company studio orchestra
A2405-07/D12
November 18, 1948
Rebecca (Cinema release, David O. Selznick; Cast: Loretta Young, John Lund)