Bright Horizon
Bright Horizon is an old-time radio soap opera in the United States. It was broadcast on CBS August 25, 1941 - July 6, 1945.[1] The program initially had an alternate title, The Story of Michael West.[2]
| Other names | The Story of Michael West |
|---|---|
| Genre | Soap opera |
| Running time | 15 minutes |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| Starring | Richard Kollmar Robert Griffin Joseph Julian Sammie Hill Joan Alexander |
| Announcer | Marjorie Anderson Paul Luther John Harper Roland Winters Grace Russell |
| Written by | James Hart Elizabeth Hart John M. Young Ted Maxwell Stuart Hawkins Kathleen Norris |
| Directed by | Henry Hull Charles Powers Day Tuttle Ralph Butler Walter Allison Tibbals |
| Produced by | Day Tuttle |
| Original release | August 25, 1941 – July 6, 1945 |
| Sponsored by | Swan Soap |
Format
Bright Horizon was a spinoff of the Big Sister radio program. To help with the transition, Alice Frost, who played Ruth Wayne in the original series, was heard in the first episodes of the spinoff.[3] Michael West, the main character in the new program, was a singer on Big Sister. With the switch to Bright Horizon, he continued singing but also used his law degree "and gradually became more involved in a law career, at one time considering a run for governor."[4]
In 1942, a review of the program in Billboard said, in part:
The quality is none too high on Bright Horizon, ... but at least the 15 minutes on the shot caught had enough action to sustain a sort of infantile interest, and the acting level was for the most part surprisingly high.[5]
Bright Horizon was sponsored by Lever Brothers, advertising Swan Soap.[2]
Personnel
Characters in Bright Horizon and the actors and actresses who portrayed them are shown in the table below.
| Character | Actor |
|---|---|
| Michael West | Richard Kollmar Robert Griffin[6] Joseph Julian |
| Carol West | Sammie Hill Joan Alexander |
| Larry | Frank Lovejoy |
| Margaret McCarey | Lesley Woods |
| Bobby | Ronald Liss |
| Barbara | Renee Terry |
| Keith Richards | Lon Clark |
| Lily | Alice Goodkin |
| Bonnie | Audrey Totter |
| Charles McCarey | Richard Keith |
| Penny | Will Geer[1] |
| Edith Browning | Helen Claire[1] |
| Bobby | Ronny Liss[1] |
Source: Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows,[3] except as noted.
Others heard on the program were Skip Homeier,[7] Jackie Grimes, Santos Ortega and Chester Stratton.
Announcers were John Harper, Roland Winters, Grace Russell,[1] Paul Luther[5] and Marjorie Anderson. The organist was John Gart.[3] Day Tuttle was the producer.[8] Henry Hull, Charles Powers, Day Tuttle, Ralph Butler[1] and Walter Allison Tibbals[9] were the directors. Writers were James Hart, Elizabeth Hart, John M. Young, Ted Maxwell, Stuart Hawkins and Kathleen Norris.[1]
Sequel
After Bright Horizon's last broadcast, "the program was extended for a few months, with the name changed to A Woman's Life."[4]
See also
References
- Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 119. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. Retrieved 2019-09-17.
Bright Horizon, soap opera.
- "Network Accounts" (PDF). Broadcasting. August 18, 1941. p. 65. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
- Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-4513-4. P. 52.
- Reinehr, Robert C.; Swartz, Jon D. (2010). The A to Z of Old Time Radio. Scarecrow Press. p. 47. ISBN 9781461672074. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
- "Comment". Billboard. October 3, 1942. p. 8. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
- "Four-Way Pickup". Billboard. March 4, 1944. p. 12. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
- Lesser, Jerry (July 18, 1942). "Radio Talent: New York". Billboard. p. 7. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
- "Y & R Lists New Fall Assignments" (PDF). Broadcasting. August 28, 1944. p. 114. Retrieved 7 January 2017.
- "Our Respects" (PDF). Broadcasting. February 14, 1955. p. 22. Retrieved 7 January 2017.