Kate Hopkins, Angel of Mercy is an American old-time radio soap opera. After beginning as a transcribed program on seven stations on October 23, 1939,[1] it was broadcast weekday afternoons on CBS from October 7, 1940, until April 3, 1942[2] and sponsored by Maxwell House coffee.[3]
| Other names | Kate Hopkins |
|---|---|
| Genre | Soap opera |
| Running time | 15 minutes |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| Syndicates | CBS |
| Starring | Helen Lewis Margaret MacDonald Selena Royle |
| Announcer | Nelson Case |
| Written by | Gertrude Berg Chester McCracken |
| Original release | October 23, 1939 – April 3, 1942 |
| Sponsored by | Maxwell House coffee |
The show's initial premise was that after Kate Hopkins' husband died in a fire, she became a visiting nurse to support herself and her young son in the mythical American town of Forest Falls.[3] Hopkins faced concerns such as "Once started, malicious gossip is hard to stop. Is it wise to face slander openly, or to solve it by running away?"[4]
By July 1941, however, Hopkins had become "a widow of forty at a loose end when her son Tom is drafted into the Army."[5] Hopkins was living on a plantation near New Orleans as companion to Jessie Atwood, "a retired and renowned lady of the theater".[5] In that situation, Hopkins drew the attention of Atwood's son, who planned to marry 18-year-old Diane Pers.[5] As time went on, Hopkins found herself attracted to Atwood's son, while Pers developed "much of a mutual interest" with Hopkins' son.[6]
Production constraints during World War II resulted in the cancellation of the show. After the War Production Board ordered a reduction in use of tin containers, executives of Maxwell House's parent company, General Foods, ended the broadcasts.[7]
Personnel
editCharacters in the program and the actors and actresses who portrayed them are shown in the table below.
| Character | Actor/Actress |
|---|---|
| Kate Hopkins | Helen Lewis[8] Margaret MacDonald[8] Selena Royle[9] |
| Tom Hopkins | Ned Wever[8] Clayton "Bud" Collyer[8] |
| Robert Atwood | Raymond Edward Johnson[8] |
| Jessie Atwood | Constance Collier[8] |
| Duke Duncan | Donald MacLaughlin[10] |
| Smokie | Charles Calvert[10] |
| Blackie | Joseph Julian[10] |
| Diane Pers | Delma Byron[5] |
| Elise | Peggy Allenby[5] |
| Trudy | Templeton Fox[11] |
Nelson Case was the announcer.[12] Writers for the program were Gertrude Berg and Chester McCracken.[2]
References
edit- ^ "Maxwell House Discs" (PDF). Broadcasting. October 15, 1939. p. 63. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
- ^ a b Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio (Revised ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 381. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. Retrieved 2019-10-12.
- ^ a b "'Kate Hopkins, Angel of Mercy' Becomes Daily Drama on WHP". Harrisburg Telegraph. Pennsylvania, Harrisburg. May 3, 1941. p. 21. Retrieved September 28, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Kate Hopkins, Angel of Mercy". The Times. Louisiana, Shreveport. May 9, 1940. p. 10. Retrieved September 28, 2018 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e "Movie-Radio Guide's Theatre of the Air Presents "Kate Hopkins", Part I" (PDF). Movie-Radio Guide. 10 (42): 45. July 26, 1941. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
- ^ "Movie-Radio Guide's Theatre of the Air Presents "Kate Hopkins", Part 3" (PDF). Movie-Radio Guide. 10 (44): 45. August 9, 1941. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
- ^ "Riggio and Mars Cancel Net Series: Maxwell House Drops Serial Due to Container Change" (PDF). Broadcasting. March 2, 1942. p. 11. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f Terrace, Vincent (1999). Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 187. ISBN 978-0-7864-4513-4.
- ^ "Change in Serial Cast" (PDF). Broadcasting. November 10, 1941. p. 53. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
- ^ a b c "Mr. Fairfax Replies" (PDF). Movie-Radio Guide. 10 (24): 43. March 22, 1941. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
- ^ "(photo caption)". Movie-Radio Guide. 10 (2): 38. October 19, 1940. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
- ^ "Behind the Mike" (PDF). Broadcasting. February 17, 1941. p. 32. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
External links
edit
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