A Woman to Remember
Encyclopedia
A Woman to Remember is a soap opera
which ran on the DuMont Television Network
from February 21, 1949 - July 15, 1949. The show initially ran in daytime but starting May 2 aired Monday through Friday from 7:30 - 7:45 pm
EST. John Haggart served as creator and writer; Bob Steele
was producer and director. The show followed Captain Video
and had no sponsor.
) and sound man Charley Anderson (Frankie Thomas
). Thomas would later star in popular series Tom Corbett, Space Cadet
. His mother, Mona Bruns
(who appeared on many soaps), had a small part on the show and described the backstage atmosphere as very hectic.
, with a budget of $1,750 a week, a three-hour rehearsal period, and ,at most, two TV cameras. The studio bathroom was used as the dressing room, there was little ventilation, the sets were cheap and the actors were barely paid. One day, the air conditioning broke down and five technicians fainted from heat exhaustion. Bruns had to say, "I've just had a tooth pulled," but was so delirious, she said (live on air), "I've just had a pooth tulled." The actors struggled not to laugh, which kept them from fainting from the heat. Leading man Raby once had a scene with an actress who panicked once the broadcast began. She tried to flee the set, but he pushed her into a chair and kept her there. He blurted out, "I can guess what you came to tell me," and proceeded to recite all of her dialogue, along with his own lines. After the scene ended he went to the bathroom and threw up.
For many years, A Woman to Remember was considered the first television soap opera, due to some magazine articles which erroneously claimed the series debuted in 1947. However, Dumont's Faraway Hill
, which ran for several months in 1946, is now considered the first soap opera on television.
Soap opera
A soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
which ran on the DuMont Television Network
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
from February 21, 1949 - July 15, 1949. The show initially ran in daytime but starting May 2 aired Monday through Friday from 7:30 - 7:45 pm
12-hour clock
The 12-hour clock is a time conversion convention in which the 24 hours of the day are divided into two periods called ante meridiem and post meridiem...
EST. John Haggart served as creator and writer; Bob Steele
Bob Steele (actor)
Bob Steele was an American actor. He was born Robert Adrian Bradbury in Portland, Oregon, into a vaudeville family. After years of touring, the family settled down in Hollywood in the late 1910s, where his father, Robert N...
was producer and director. The show followed Captain Video
Captain Video
Captain Video and His Video Rangers is an American science fiction television series. It was broadcast on the DuMont Television Network, and was the first series of its kind on American television...
and had no sponsor.
Synopsis
The concept of the soap opera was novel: the idea was that viewers would get two soap operas in one. The radio soap opera contained within the TV continuity had its own story-line and characters, and in addition the actors and actresses had a separate story-line involving their own conflicts.Cast and characters
The main focus of A Woman to Remember was the backstage drama of a radio serial. Radio soap opera star Christine Baker (Patricia Wheel) was the central heroine who had to spend much of her time dealing with malicious Carol Winstead (Joan Catlin), who fought against her both at work and in Christine's relationship with Steve Hammond (John Raby). Other characters included Christine's actress pal Bessie Thatcher (Ruth McDevittRuth McDevitt
Ruth McDevitt was an American stage, film, radio and television actress.-Career:She was born Ruth Thane Shoecraft in Coldwater, Michigan. After attending the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, she married Patrick McDevitt and decided to devote her time to her marriage. After her husband's death in...
) and sound man Charley Anderson (Frankie Thomas
Frankie Thomas
Frank Marion Thomas, Jr. was an American actor, author and bridge-strategy expert who played both lead and supporting roles on Broadway, in films, in post-World War II radio, and in early television. He was best known for his starring role in Tom Corbett, Space Cadet.-Early years:Thomas was born...
). Thomas would later star in popular series Tom Corbett, Space Cadet
Tom Corbett, Space Cadet
Tom Corbett is the main character in a series of Tom Corbett — Space Cadet stories that were depicted in television, radio, books, comic books, comic strips, coloring books, punch-out books and View-Master reels in the 1950s....
. His mother, Mona Bruns
Mona Bruns
Mona Bruns was an American actress on the stage, films, radio, and television.Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Bruns appeared on Broadway with her husband, Frank M. Thomas. They moved to Los Angeles in the 1930s, where she acted in several films. She played the role of Aunt Emily on the CBS soap...
(who appeared on many soaps), had a small part on the show and described the backstage atmosphere as very hectic.
Production
The show was broadcast live from a tiny radio studio in Wanamaker's Department StoreWanamaker's
Wanamaker's department store was the first department store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and one of the first department stores in the United States. At its zenith in the early 20th century, there were two major Wanamaker department stores, one in Philadelphia and one in New York City at Broadway...
, with a budget of $1,750 a week, a three-hour rehearsal period, and ,at most, two TV cameras. The studio bathroom was used as the dressing room, there was little ventilation, the sets were cheap and the actors were barely paid. One day, the air conditioning broke down and five technicians fainted from heat exhaustion. Bruns had to say, "I've just had a tooth pulled," but was so delirious, she said (live on air), "I've just had a pooth tulled." The actors struggled not to laugh, which kept them from fainting from the heat. Leading man Raby once had a scene with an actress who panicked once the broadcast began. She tried to flee the set, but he pushed her into a chair and kept her there. He blurted out, "I can guess what you came to tell me," and proceeded to recite all of her dialogue, along with his own lines. After the scene ended he went to the bathroom and threw up.
For many years, A Woman to Remember was considered the first television soap opera, due to some magazine articles which erroneously claimed the series debuted in 1947. However, Dumont's Faraway Hill
Faraway Hill
Faraway Hill is the first soap opera broadcast on an American television network, running on the DuMont Television Network.-Broadcast history:...
, which ran for several months in 1946, is now considered the first soap opera on television.
See also
- List of programs broadcast by the DuMont Television Network
- List of surviving DuMont Television Network broadcasts