James Jewell
Encyclopedia
James Jewell was an American
radio
actor, producer
and director at radio station WXYZ, Detroit, Michigan
.
Jewell was part of the station staff that worked out the original concepts for The Lone Ranger
. Jewell is also credited for selecting The William Tell Overture as the theme music for the series. "Ke-mo sah-bee
", Tonto's greeting to the masked Ranger, was derived from the name of a boys' camp owned by Jewell's father-in-law Charles W. Yeager. Camp Kee-Mo-Sah-Bee operated from 1911 until 1941 on Mullet Lake south of Mackinac, Michigan. After the radio show became popular, Yeager held "Lone Ranger Camps" at his camp.
Jewell produced, directed and occasionally wrote many of the early episodes for The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet
. He was the director for both series from their beginning up until 1938. Jewell's sister, Lenore Allman (Lenore Jewell Allman) wanted to play a roll in a radio series at WXYZ so Jim wrote her into The Green Hornet. She played Lenore Case, the Green Hornet's secretary, for 28 years and is in the Radio Hall of Fame.
He directed Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy
beginning in 1938 until the series ended in 1951.
From 1951-1955, Jewell was the producer/director of The Silver Eagle, a mountie adventure which ran on ABC and starred Jim Ameche, the brother of movie star Don Ameche
.
As the era of radio dramatic series came to an end, attempted to bring The Silver Eagle to television.
He died from a heart attack in Chicago in August 1975.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
actor, producer
Radio producer
A radio producer oversees the making of a radio show. There are two main types of producer. An audio or creative producer and a content producer. Audio producers create sounds and audio specifically, content producers oversee and orchestrate a radio show or feature...
and director at radio station WXYZ, Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
.
WXYZ
In June 1932, George Trendle, the owner of radio station WXYZ, decided to drop network affiliation and produce his own radio programs. Jim Jewell was hired as the dramatic director for the radio station. He supplied the actors from his own repertory company, the "Jewell Players".Jewell was part of the station staff that worked out the original concepts for The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked Texas Ranger who, with his Native American companion Tonto, fights injustice in the American Old West. The character has become an enduring icon of American culture....
. Jewell is also credited for selecting The William Tell Overture as the theme music for the series. "Ke-mo sah-bee
Ke-mo sah-bee
Ke-mo sah-bee is the term of endearment and catchphrase used by the intrepid and ever-faithful fictional Native American sidekick, Tonto, in the very successful American radio and television program The Lone Ranger. It is sometimes translated as "trusty scout" or "faithful friend" in Potawatomi...
", Tonto's greeting to the masked Ranger, was derived from the name of a boys' camp owned by Jewell's father-in-law Charles W. Yeager. Camp Kee-Mo-Sah-Bee operated from 1911 until 1941 on Mullet Lake south of Mackinac, Michigan. After the radio show became popular, Yeager held "Lone Ranger Camps" at his camp.
Jewell produced, directed and occasionally wrote many of the early episodes for The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet
The Green Hornet
The Green Hornet is an American radio and television masked vigilante created by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, with input from radio director James Jewell, in 1936. Since his radio debut in the 1930s, the Green Hornet has appeared in numerous serialized dramas in a wide variety of media...
. He was the director for both series from their beginning up until 1938. Jewell's sister, Lenore Allman (Lenore Jewell Allman) wanted to play a roll in a radio series at WXYZ so Jim wrote her into The Green Hornet. She played Lenore Case, the Green Hornet's secretary, for 28 years and is in the Radio Hall of Fame.
WBBM
Jewell left WXYZ in 1938, and moved to Chicago and worked as a director-producer at WBBM, the CBS radio affiliate in Chicago.He directed Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy
Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy
Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy was a radio adventure series which maintained its popularity from 1933 to 1951. The program originated at WBBM in Chicago on July 31, 1933, and was later carried on CBS, then NBC and finally ABC....
beginning in 1938 until the series ended in 1951.
From 1951-1955, Jewell was the producer/director of The Silver Eagle, a mountie adventure which ran on ABC and starred Jim Ameche, the brother of movie star Don Ameche
Don Ameche
Don Ameche was an Academy Award winning American actor with a career spanning almost sixty years.-Personal life:...
.
As the era of radio dramatic series came to an end, attempted to bring The Silver Eagle to television.
He died from a heart attack in Chicago in August 1975.