Biographies in Sound


(4.7 stars; 8 reviews)

Biographies in Sound was an hour-long documentary radio program that was produced and broadcast in the 1950s. It's one of the best examples of radio excellence - the production is exemplary and I find every episode to be compelling. It's one of my favorites; I don't understand why it isn't more well known! Each episode featured multiple guests, who often were peers or friends of the person who was the featured subject. For example, the show on Hemingway features Mickey Spillane, Gary Cooper, Al Capp, Leland Hayward, Marlon Brando, etc. On the Biography In Sound log at http://www.digitaldeliftp.com/DigitalDeliToo/dd2jb-Biography-In-Sound.html there is a list of all the guests. That site is where I got the episode numbers listed in these files. Any error or typo is mine, however. :)

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.

Chapters

00 Salute to Sigmund Romberg 58:42
00 His Finest Hour: Winston Churchill 51:11
01 Meet Ernest Hemingway 53:34
00 Show Biz (hosted by Geoge Jessel) 54:25
02 Meet Gertrude Lawrence 54:39
04 Meet Carl Sandburg 54:31
06 The Actor 54:30
07 The Kenton Era: Stan Kenton 54:40
08 Meet Ethel Barrymore 54:54
09 They Knew Bernard Shaw: George Bernard Shaw 54:44
10 Meet Ernest Hemingway 54:27
11 They Knew Franklin Delano Roosevelt 54:42
12 Leo the Lip: Leo Durocher 54:29
20 This Was F. Scott Fitzgerald 54:43
21 George Washington: the Man Nobody Knows 59:16
22 Labor's John L. Lewis 54:30
00 Biography In Rhythm (jazz & Africa) 58:40
00 The Atom: Menace and Promise 56:17
23 The Legend of The Babe: Babe Ruth 53:15
24 The Serious Gershwin: George Gershwin 51:44
26 Darrow: 100 Years Later - Clarence Darrow 56:36
28 F.P.A.: His Column and His Friends - Franklin P. Adams 53:20
30 They Knew Thomas Wolfe 58:13
31 Jerome Kern, the Man and his Music 53:42
32 A Portrait of Albert Schweitzer 49:21
34 Mister John: The Golden Story - John Golden 59:28
37 They Knew Grantland Rice 57:52
39 Magnificent Rogue: W.C. Fields 43:00
40 They Knew George M. Cohan 54:30
41 Thornton Wilder, Keeper of the Time Capsule 55:05
42 Mr. Baseball - Connie Mack 58:28
43 They Knew Sinclair Lewis 59:57
44 The Wonderful World of Robert Benchley 50:12
45 Recollections at 30 (salute to radio for Radio Week) 54:09
46 A Portrait of Fred Allen 51:47
49 Fiorello La Guardia: The Little Giant of Gotham 59:29
51 H.L. Mencken: The Bitter Byline 53:54
53 Meet Frank Lloyd Wright 53:19
55 America's Grandma: Grandma Moses 54:28
56 They Knew Rockne: Knute Rockne 54:25
59 Woodrow Wilson: Portrait of A Peacemaker 51:41
60 Meet Mary Martin 54:33
61 An Impression of Alexander Woollcott 50:35
64 Ticket to the Moon (tribute to SciFi) 48:13
70 Arturo Toscanini: The Man Behind The Legend 52:46
72 Thornton Wilder, Keeper of the Time Capsule 55:06
82 An Impression of Alexander Woollcott 53:16
83 The Life of Alben W. Barkley 52:56
84 A Visit Into the World of Danny Kaye 55:10
85 They Knew Theodore Roosevelt 50:47
86 Ernie Pyle: Typewriter In A Foxhole 50:28
87 Captain Eddie The Iron Eagle - Eddie Rickenbacker 54:30
97 A Tribute to Herbert Hoover 54:25

Reviews

A 50s View of the Past


(4 stars)

Like any group of shows, there are some that are outstanding (Ernest Hemmingway, Ernie Pyle and HL Mencken), some that really do not get the subject (W.C. Fields), and a lot that is average. The most interesting pairing (not entirely successful, alas), is a biography of Stan Kenton hosted by that least Kentonian of voclaists, Frank Sinatra. There is a definite format to these biographies, so that you can tell just when you are going to hear from the best friend, or hear from that guy who saw the subject at his most heroic moment. If the subject is a politician, you will hear a lot of speches. If he is a musician, there's a lot of appropriate music. I would not say this is something that is beter done than the average profile you would find on NPR, but the archival material is often fascinating, and the lives themselves often interesting.

Spectacular


(5 stars)

I am well into writing a historical fiction novel---screenplay and while researching historical figures stumbled onto this site. It is fabulous. Hemingway recording was great, though I had heard it on You Tube which is how I found this site. I have now listened to 7 of the shows, every one is good. I particularly recommend the George Washington show which Includes many things that are not widely known and very revealing. Because GW will make a cameo in my novel I have been fact checking and the key points in the show are being borne out in my check as true. This site is a real find, 5 stars in my book.

Splendid series


(5 stars)

I've only begun to listen to these programs-- but have enjoyed every one thus far. The programs are entertaining, colorful, and valuable historical resources. One need not listen to these in any order, only according to one's own whims and interests. Thus far, I have especially enjoyed programs about authors, such as the one about F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Excellent!


(5 stars)

Thanks for uploading this! The episode about Alben Barkley is especially good. Quite a bit of dull political speechifying, but one dramatic moment fully justifies the title of the whole series. Barkley turns out to have been tremendously influential among other politicians, even though his name is synonymous with public obscurity.

very good


(5 stars)

this radio show is very interesting